MCD studies of lanthanide ions in aqueous solution

Abstract

Magnetic circular dichroism signals result from the interplay of different factors. These are external factors as the magnitude of the magnetic field, optical pathway and temperature as well as intrinsic molecular factors as spectral bandwidth, transition probabilities and magnetic moments. Therefore the MCD technique offers interesting possibilities both from an analytical and a fundamental point of view. It will be shown that symmetry conclusions about the surrounding of lanthanide ions in solution can be derived from an analysis of the sign and magnitude of the MCD signals. This will be illustrated for Eu 3+ and Pr 3+ in different solvents: water, ethanol and acetonitrile. Figure 1 gives the spectra of the perchlorates in aqueous solution (see page X24).